Teh Ban

No, I don't. But there comes in that personal judgement thing. What if one person is a newbie, and the other has done it before?

I'm not saying its perfect, but the present system seems to be working well enough.

 

there is room for improvement. i would think that the more something can be improved, the better it will be. regardless of what the current feeling about it may be.

 

I truly believe that if people had more backbone and weren't so easily offended, we wouldn't need to worry about bans.

The TOS's are meant to keep a general sense of order, but they are taken way too serious 99% of the time. Granted, you get the occassion tard who wants to piss and moan about the administration, or how they are being treated unfairly, and how Kadue or Sapient molestered their childhood...

But there should be a sense of comfort around the average poster, knowing that most people aren't trying to offend one another, but merely just being themselves. It is quite difficult to be oneself on these boards as the rules are someone restricting.

In all honesty I think there should be one or 2 mods specifically assigned to bannings and unban requests, and to no specific forums. Everyone is pissy about how the mods/admins are unapproachable and aprehensive when it comes to bannings, that the lack of relations between management and membership makes it hard for the banned individual to make their case...well this could be a viable solution.

My $.02

 

That would cause mass chaos. Some people 'being themselves' would be . . . horrible. Relying on people's good nature just doesn't really work. Nice in theory, totally unreasonable in practice. Even if the vast majority was willing to be polite to one another, the minority (flamers, trolls) would ruin it by acting like . . . *searches for JC acceptable word* complete flamers and trolls.

We do need the mods.

 

Yeah, but you missed my point.

People need to see this for what it is, a message board; and not take most things so seriously as they would in life. This is a place that many come to escape life for a short time in their day, to talk about Star Wars, or whatever, and just want to give their own perspectives without having to worry about being chastized by 30 different teenagers who have an inferiority complex, and get some sort of satisfaction from getting someone banned; all because of something so simple as words.

 

You're going to have to quit posting such rational opinions, as they are blasphemous here.

 

I must say that the unban request process works quite well. They're handled in a timely and responsible manner by the admin who banned them. If it seems the unban request has been sitting around too long, we PM the appropriate mod and also bring up the unban request thread in Comms for them to see.

In terms of having one or two mods solely responsible for bannings, that places an extreme amount of work on those two individuals. And besides, that would require someone to know all the in's and out's of every forum and what the precedents for bannings are, the rules, what's appropriate for that forum, etc...

I feel the system works well the way it is. I'm very open to suggestions, criticism, and constructive feedback.

 

I tend to agree with Sapient on this issue. I only hope that every mod still puts their name at the end of all responses, so the person knows who is responding.

 

First of all, I do not have an inferiority complex.

People need to see this for what it is, a message board; and not take most things so seriously as they would in life.

Then why are you taking the idea of having mods and rules and guidelines so seriously? Why take our seriousness (silly as it is, I think the majority like doing it ) seriously?

I agree with DarthSapient, btw.

 

Perm Ban~ advocating, posting links to, or posting pictures of pornography invoving minors, or sites advocating the abuse of minors in any way, shape, or form.


Also, excessive use of smilies in posts.

 

I haven't banned anyone in over a month. Makes it easy to deal with unban requests.

 

You're getting sloppy. A good mod bans someone every hour on the hour.

 

//Bans GriffZ to meet quota

 

I must say that the unban request process works quite well.

I disagree.


They're handled in a timely and responsible manner by the admin who banned them.

I've heard many stories to the contrary. It seems some mods either never respond to legitimate unban requests or respond with flames and other such rude comments.

But that's just what I've heard. I'm sure the majority of your unban requests here are handled competently and fairly and with the utmost expediance.

 

well, i didn't want to go there, but...

oh trust me, if a mod doesn't like you, they'll take their time, whether it's responding to an unban request, responding to a pm, reading a pm (and i'm referring to when they're logged on), or unbanning you when the time is supposed to be over (24 hours means 24 hours, not "when the mod feels like it"). now why would a mod get mad at another mod for unbanning a person when it's been over 24 hours? now why would a mod log off just before the ban is supposed to end?

yet no one gives a damn or will even acknowledge the notion that shady business happens now and then. and when you complain, you're labeled a "drama monkey" or "trouble maker", or it's dismissed as being personal.

fair play, my ass.

 

If you've been banned for a set amount of time, and if you haven't been unbanned after that time is up, you should always send in another unban request pointing that out. Hopefully another mod will take the initiative to unban you.

But getting mad at another mod for doing that is pretty... odd.

 

Nada...
"I've heard many stories to the contrary... But that's just what I've heard. "

And of course we should always believe random stories we hear, which are most likely a biased one-sided viewpoint, in cases like this.

The unban request system is about the best administration tool on the boards. It's all done in full view of the other mods and archived. Nothing works smoother or better for ensuring fairness to regular users who have the honor of being a part of it.

I do agree that each mod needs to handle their cases in a timely fashion, and if not, allow others - say Administrators - to do so for them.

 

And of course we should always believe random stories we hear, which are most likely a biased one-sided viewpoint, in cases like this.

And of course I should care whether or not you always believe random stories you hear, of which your belief or disbelief is most likely a biased one-sided viewpoint.

 

I've heard many stories to the contrary

I hear Kadue is 8ft tall and has sixteen tentacles coming out oh his head





Seriously, I dont see how normal posters can really give a fair opinion on wether the unban methods work, as they havent seen them.

 

"And of course we should always believe random stories we hear, which are most likely a biased one-sided viewpoint, in cases like this."

As opposed to the completely unbiasted many sided mod viewpoint?

Someone can be banned completely unfairly, and before they can get the decision reversed their ban is over. I've heard about this from people, and it's happened to me personally.

You may say "Oh well you probably just don't think it's fair" but in my case, the person I was accused of flaming didn't think I was flaming him either. In fact no one but the mod did. Yet I was banned without warning. And the post erased so it'd be my word against them anyways. In those situations it can be a pain in the ass, and there's nothing you can do about it.


But maybe if the banned user's notes contained the post that got them banned and info stating if they were warned or not (if applies) and the time in which their ban runs up, and other mods reviewed this and helped unban users, it'd be a whole lot smoother.
Though of course I don't know the banned usernote's policy as it stands now.

 

I always write the ban reason in the user notes. I write when someone gets threads locked in the cases of classic redundant threads. For me or other mods, it helps to have a record to know if there is a history of this behavior. I PM warnings to the user and add the warning to their notes. One of the most common admin actions I do, moreso than any other, is updating user notes.